Brewton–Parker Christian University

In 1904, John Carter Brewton, pastor of the McRae Baptist Church, and Charles Benton Parker, a prominent businessman in McRae, resolved to establish a private boarding school to serve elementary and high school students from Montgomery County and the surrounding area. As there were no public high schools at that time, the school played an important role in furthering the education of the area’s youth. The Telfair and Daniell Baptist associations were enthusiastic supporters. The school was placed between Mount Vernon and Ailey, as working together the town bid more support than any other community. The Union Baptist Institute, chartered April 28, 1904, joined with other Baptist associations, with Rev. Brewton as elected president of its board of trustees. David R. Smith became college president in 1998 and at his first graduation address he stated: "To any and all who recognized inept policies and errant behavior, and who continued to speak out against such things even in the face of opposition from those who preferred not to hear it, you should be applauded, not ridiculed." ==Campus==

The main college campus is in Mount Vernon on and includes forty-six buildings, outdoor athletic properties, and a lake. == Organization and administration ==

Brewton–Parker is affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. Its endowment was $13.3 million in 2007. == Academics ==

Brewton–Parker Christian University offers undergraduate degrees in seven academic departments with 19 majors. Most of its programs have internships, offering practical, hands-on experience as well as academic content. Further, in applicable areas, undergraduates are encouraged to participate with faculty in performing research and presenting papers. As the only independent college in rural southeast Georgia, the institution plays an important educational role in one of the state’s poorest areas. It serves many first generation college students and provides learning assistance to other, non-traditional students seeking to improve their knowledge and skills. Among private colleges, Brewton-Parker enrolls three times as many minority students as the national average. There is a 2:1 female–male student ratio and a 15:1 student-faculty ratio. The student body is 73.2% Caucasian, 24% African American, 2% Hispanic, 0.5% Asian American or Pacific Islander and 0.3% Native American. In late 2014, the college successfully presented evidence of compliance with SACS standards; its accreditation was reaffirmed and its probation status lifted. == Student life ==

Intramural sports include basketball, softball, table tennis, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball. Student groups at the school include a concert choir, Voices of Truth, a concert band, Student Activities Council, Rotaract, Circle K, Alpha Omega Campus Ministry, Student Government Association, a Baptist Campus Ministry (Baptist Collegiate Ministries, a.k.a. BCM), campus-based Greek Life organizations, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). ==Athletics==

The Brewton–Parker athletic teams are called the Barons. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) since the 1999–2000 academic year. Brewton–Parker competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, competition cheer, eSports and Olympic weightlifting. Baseball The men's baseball team won the NAIA championship in 1997. The Brewton–Parker College Barons baseball team was declared co-champions of the SSAC Championship on May 3, 2010 and the Barons ranked as high as 15 nationally in that year. The Barons shared the title with then-No. 4-ranked Lee University Flames. The Barons won four straight games before losing to the Flames 8-0. They defeated Lee (46-11) in earlier rounds. The co-championship was declared when the deciding game was canceled due to inclement weather. Coach Greg "Boo" Mullins led the 2010 Barons Baseball team as head coach, and was named 2010 Coach of the Year by the Georgia Dugout Club. Track and field The Brewton–Parker College men's track & field team won the 2022 Indoor Conference Championship in the SSAC. In indoor track & field, Brandon Schultz won back to back National Championships in the 60 Meter Hurdles in 2021 and 2022 for the Barons. == Notable people ==

• Dennis Holmberg, 1969, professional baseball player and manager • Private Robert M. McTureous Jr., US Marine and Medal of Honor recipient • Wallace Moses, professional baseball player • Kim Ruff, Gospel singer-songwriter ==References==